Note 93 — APPENDIX NEW ENGLAND ORCHIDS

The common name, Putty-Root, arose from the putty-like consistency of the adhesive substance of the old corms or bulbs; used to mend broken china. The name Adam-and-Eve originated with the colored folk in Georgia and Alabama. The bulbs are not disagreeable to eat if baked, and many confess to be fond of them. The colored people in the South are said to wear these bulbs as amulets, and attribute great favor to them in casting lots. By separating the offsets, they designate them Adam-and-Eve, as the rule may be, and placing them in a bowl of water decide their good or ill fortune in obtaining work, or a lover, according as Adam or Eve “pops up.”